Electrical and Computer Engineering

Senior Design 2001-02

Starfish Navigation System

By: Jim Range and Brad Westphal
Advisor: Dr. J.M. Heneghan

Development of a global positioning navigation system with a map and track interface to a personal computer. This system then could be easily installed in an automobile or anywhere tacking is desired, due to the portability of the system. The purpose of the personal computer is to collect data from a local microcontroller unit (LMCU). The LMCU interfaces to a local Global Positioning System (GPS), Digital Compass, and the RF wireless receiver unit (RFWRU), which receives the remote GPS information. The primary function of the LMCU is to coordinate the above three modules, and to systematically pass their data to the PC. The PC then processes the data. The Windows GUI running on the PC is geographic mapping software implemented in Visual Basic. The GUI will plot a dot indicating the location.

Wireless Vote Tallying System

The Wireless Vote Tallying System records the Senator's vote electronically and totals the number of votes on a personal computer. The system is implemented using PIC chip, two radio frequency transceiver, serial link and graphic user interface. A master controller controls the keys on the mobile user board and radio frequency transceivers are used to transmit and receive signals back and forth from the Senator's mobile user board and the main board on the speaker's desk. Each Senator will be provided with a mobile user board to identify the user and a main board will be sitting on the speaker's desk, which controls the interfacing between mobile user boards. After a Senator votes using his mobile user board, the radio frequency transceivers will transmit the signal to the speaker's desk. A serial link is used to communicate to the speaker's personal computer. The graphic user interface application shows the names of the senators and provides information to the speaker on the type of vote placed by each senator. Anyone can access the graphic user interface application through Web-Link and see the election results in real time. To secure the voting information on the system, the signal information was encrypted using code division multiple access (CDMA) TECHNOLOGY. The wireless mobile board can only be used once (to prevent redundant voting) after the Speaker resets the system from his personal Computer. The transceiver is run on batteries.

Remote Controlled Robotic Arm

By: Hahn Vo, Hieu Nguyen, Nabin Sharma
Advisor: Dr. Michael Glazos

Construction of a remote controlled Robotic Arm. A personal computer (PC) provides a Graphical User Interface (GUI) to the Robotic Arm. The GUI window includes movement commands, rotational freedom, electromagnet activity, and predefined trajectories. The Robotic Arm has two degrees of rotational freedom, and is actuated by two stepper motors. The stepper motors are controlled by a resident microcomputer employing an 8-bit micro-controller. The microcomputer receives commands from the PC via an IR link in turn controls the motion of the Robotic Arm. The Robotic Arm employs an electromagnet as an end effectors to pick up and place metallic objects in order to demonstrate its dexterity. Program Automation adds on Robotic Arm capability of doing routine work efficiently.

Wireless Web Camera

By: Tony Dehn, Nick Delisi, Hoon Yoo
Advisor: Dr. Sura Lekhakul

As computer technology advances, the roles of imaging on the computer have become very important. A lot of people put their pictured or their own materials on the Internet using a web cam. The wireless web cam will be more convenient to individuals who need to put images on the computer. A wireless web cam will benefit the user by having a greater range between the web cam and the computer for more applications.

Smart Weighing Machine

This project is called "Smart Weighing Machine". The purpose is to obtain a user's weight and store the data into a microcontroller chip. The stored data can be retrieved and compared with present weight. The main difference as compared to a common weighing scale is that the system is voice activated. The smart scale communicates with the use of an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) display and via a voice synthesizer. The Smart Weighing Machine is a device that stores data for users so they can have easy access to their weight history and health records through voice recognition. The system is expandable to many formats, for example provide health advice. Current provision for the system can be customized to user's personal settings and preferences in any languages and formats.

Automated Vehicle Parking System

By: Jeff Doss, Conrad Ihla, Mark Olson
Advisor: Dr. Ling Hou

Increased technology has led to an increase in the demand for automated systems throughout our society. Examples of these can be found on our automobiles today: automatic starters, remote entry, and driver recognition are just a few illustrations. We have developed a new, practical system, the Automated Vehicle Parking System. This is a system that allows a vehicle to be driven to a specified parking location by means of coordinated communication between a suite of arrayed sonar sensors, a microprocessor, and the vehicle itself. This process takes place without any operator intervention. This system could eliminate the potential for human error in parking a vehicle, protecting the vehicle and nearby structures from collision damage.

Wireless Energy Management System

An electric bill is one of the few bills paid each month that the consumer cannot verify. The power used by the refrigerator, washer and dryer, computer, or hair dryer is not broken out on the bill. Our senior design project is to design a Wireless Energy Management System that can assist the consumer in measuring the power used and interface with a home computer for data collection and documentation of power usage.

Portable Translator

The existence of a simple device to help conquer the language barrier is a requirement for global economies. Business people around the world need an effective way to communicate with people from other countries because they do not speak the same language. This project, the portable translator, meets that need. The portable translator unit converts a voice signal in the base language to a voice signal in the target language. The voice recognition module, Voice Extreme from Sensory, Inc., converts the input signal into an 8-bit binary number, which is sent to a PIC 16F877 microcontroller. This microcontroller then uses an algorithm to recognize that signal as a specific word in its database, and outputs that word, using text, to a liquid crystal display, or LCD. This allows the user to recognize the word that he or she has spoken. If it is, a send switch allows him/her to send the data to the Voice Synthesis module from Winbond, which then speaks the translated word. This unit is handheld and uses a 7.2 NiCd battery for power, so it is truly portable.

Light Emitting Vehicle Communication System (LEVICS)

The acquisition of stored information through an optical communication data link is a technique being widely investigated. LEVICS (Light Emitting Vehicle Identification Communication System) employs a high-intensity light emitting diode (LED) as a cost effective, low power optical source allowing the transmission of vehicle information between two modules, a taillight package, and a handheld module, optically.

Portable GPS Tracking and Mapping System

Search and rescue operations in poor weather or remote locations pose challenges to search and rescue teams. It can be very difficult to find a person or location in these situations. The Portable Global Positioning System (GPS) Tracking and Mapping System, featuring a hand-held unit and Graphical User Interface (GUI) communicating wirelessly, is designed to make search and rescue operations more efficient by tracking where the search party has been, leading to less lost time and, more importantly, more successful rescue operations.

Smart Termostat

By: Wei Zhang and Nir Gurung
Advisor: Dr. Michael Glazos

The purpose of our Senior Design Project is to design and construct a programmable thermostat called "Smart Thermostat." Smart Thermostat allows the user to control the room temperature from a personal computer (PC) at a remote location. The remote PC communicates with a local PC over the Internet or via a modem connection. The local PC communicates with the Smart Thermostat through radio frequency (RF) tranceivers. Smart Thermostat can also be controlled manually using a Keypad. Desired room temperature are displayed on the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), local PC and remote PC.

Intelligent Smoke Detector Networking

Smoke detectors play an important role in serving our live in most of our household applications. The general purpose of our project is to develop a more reliable and efficient networking system of smoke detectors, which will enable the members of household to reach the desired destination at a particular instance. In this project report, we will show some design features that have been done in improving the aspect of communication and level of safety. This will facilitate customer need in this fast growing technology.

Voice Activated Chess Game

A voice activated chess game would be an excellent solution for playing the chess game or other board games for the physically challenged people. The game will be played through the help of a robotic arm.

Optical Microphone with DSP

By: Babu Dawadi, Jason Dehn and Adam Kolles
Advisor: Dr. Tim Vogt

Quality audio reproductions play an important role in the professional and amateur music industry. The purpose of this project is to develop and implement a microphone using optical fibers and digital signal processing. The design incorporated into this project has been done to show the success in developing and optical microphone. The methods included with this report have the potential to produce adequate quality audio in an inexpensive manner.